Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Planning And Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sullivan County planning office reports review backlog, seeks $250,000 for aquifer study; flags Clean Path NY filing
Summary
Planning staff told the committee they are handling a surge of 239 land-use reviews that may require full 30-day responses, are seeking a $250,000 match for an aquifer study, issued an RFP for a multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan, and warned municipalities about implications of the Clean Path New York transmission filing.
Heather (staff member) told the committee the planning office has been “crushed by the volume of 239 reviews” arriving in the past one to two weeks and that, because three staff perform those reviews, some requests may require the full 30 days for completion rather than faster turnarounds.
The planning update said the county has budgeted $250,000 for an aquifer/water study and is seeking a matching $250,000 from external sources. “We put 250 in the budget, and we’re looking for 250,” Heather said. She said federal funding options examined recently appear unlikely and that a request has been submitted to state representatives.
The planning office said a request for proposals (RFP) will be issued to update the county’s multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan. The RFP is intended to initiate the update needed to preserve eligibility for certain disaster-related funding (Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and related disaster programs), and the county expects to begin that procurement process imminently.
Heather also reported that the bid for the Neversink Crossing project is out and scheduled to be opened on March 25; the construction phase is the responsibility of the town of Fallsburg. She said planning will continue to provide administrative support for grant administration tied to the project.
On energy infrastructure, planning staff flagged Clean Path New York, a high-voltage direct-current transmission proposal. Heather said the project team filed with the Public Service Commission to designate the line as a priority transmission corridor and that the developer has “dropped the Tier 4 REC contract with NYSERDA,” which removes earlier contractual commitments for a host community benefit fund and pilot agreements with host municipalities. Heather added that if New York Power Authority (NYPA) owns the line, that owner would be tax-exempt, with potential implications for host communities.
“These are implications that could come from this,” Heather said, and the county will “keep a very close eye on this” and advocate for municipalities that would host underground infrastructure. She noted the line would run underground along an existing Marcy South corridor and transmit DC power downstate, meaning local communities would not be able to tap that electricity.
Committee members and staff discussed regional coordination on land-use issues, expressing concern about municipalities adopting different development rules and the cumulative effects on water, sewer and other county resources. Heather said planning staff have been attending municipal planning board meetings and that the office is open to organizing regional or topic-specific convenings for municipal officials to share practices and discuss shared infrastructure concerns.
No formal vote was taken on the items Heather reported; the updates were provided as staff reports and for direction. The committee did not adopt new policy during the remarks.
